"Friends" Gym Membership

Personal Reflection:

Not all of my inspiration comes from lame humor sites.  :)  Just the other day I was watching a rerun of "Friends" (probably while working on a blog post) and saw this intro.  I can't embed the video (but a link is included here), but did include screen shots.  Basically, Chandler has a Gym Membership that he doesn't use and can't get out of.

Here's the thing:  I think that in order to create TRUE mathematicians, kids need to "wonder mathematically" much more often.  Sure, they might laugh at the joke, but do they ever "wonder" what those numbers actually mean?  Do they have any number intuition?  Can we GET kids to wonder mathematically?  My EQUATE thinking model asks kids to do just that.  Unfortunately, I'm not sure that this is cut out to be an EQUATE type of problem.

Grade Level: 4 & 5 (Though, a fun, quick warm up at nearly any grade!)

Course: 4th &5th Grade Math

Standards:  4.NBT.1, 4.NBT.5, 4.NBT.6, 5.NBT.6
SMP: MP1, MP3, MP4  
Skills: Multiplication and Division, Unit Conversion


How to use this as a mad minute:
You have 60 seconds.  Estimate how long it has been since Chandler went to the gym.  Estimate how much money he has wasted. 

How to use this as a warm up:
You could ask the students to consider one of the following:
1.  How long has it been since Chandler went to the gym?  Write your answer in weeks and months.  Should your answer be written in years?  Why or why not?
2.  How much money has Chandler wasted by not going to the gym?
3.  List 3 things that Chandler could have purchased with that money.
4.  Explain how you could have estimated the answers to problems 1 & 2 using mental math.

How to use this as a mini-lesson:
Let's be honest.  This isn't going to be a major lesson at any grade level.  It's going to be a silly, fun, and quick activity to focus kids on thinking mathematically and to be aware of the math around them every day.

Usually I offer 20 minute mini-lessons.  I feel that if you want to use it as a mini-lesson, expand on the questions outlined in the warm up.  Give them time to reflect with partners, work with groups, explain their thinking and show their work.  REALLY focus on number sense, estimation, and mental math.  Consider giving a small prize (pencil?  Sticker?) to the student who estimates the length of time and expense most accurately. 

How to use this as a full lesson?
See above.

However, here are several other math "fails" in TV and movies that might spark discussion in classes for basic math.

I don't know the name of this movie/show, but it is Ma and Pa Kettle.

Abbott and Costello (Selling vacuum cleaners)

Abott and Costello (Donuts)  Note: The math logic is the same as the vacuums!

Abbott and Costello (Two Tens for a Five)

Abbott and Costello (It's Payday!)

How to use this as an assessment?
I wouldn't!  If you want to, choose one of the videos above and ask the students to explain the flaws in their thinking!


Please feel free to use any of these ideas and modify them to meet your needs.  However, please acknowledge the original source of the items and my own lesson outlines.  ©NatalieRSprigg 2013